Superfamily SPHECOIDEA 1707 



Orthoptera, Psocoptera, Hemiptera, Neuroptera, Trichoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, 

 Diptera, Hymenoptera; live paralyzed prey of other wasps may be stolen. Predator: 

 Small red ants. 



Bembex monodonta Say, 1824. In Keating, Narr. Long's 2nd. Exped., v. 2, app., p. 335. S. 



Microbembex monodonta occidentalis Johnson and Rohwer, 1908. Ent. News 19: 375. 



Microbembex tarsalis Rohwer, 1914. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc. 47: 516. 6,9. 



Taxonomy: Evans and Lin, 1956. Amer. Ent. Sec, Trans. 82: 55, figs. 79-84 (larva). —Evans, 

 1964. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 90: 266 (larva). 



Biology: Hartman, 1905. Tex. Univ., Bui. 65: 21-26 (nest, prey). —Parker, 1917. U. S. Natl. 

 Mus., Proc. 52: 134-141 (mating, nest, prey, life cycle, cocoon, parasite, predator). — Stoehr, 

 1917. Nat. Canad. 43: 113-119 (mating, nest, prey). — Rau and Rau, 1918. Wasp studies 

 afield, pp. 39-41, fig. 7 (nest, prey). — Mickel, 1924. Ent. News 35: 236-242 (parasite). 

 — Krombein, 1953 (1952). Wasmann Jour. Biol. 10: 288 (prey, life cycle). — Krombein, 1958. 

 Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 84: 166 (parasite ?). —Evans, 1966. Compar. ethology and 

 evolution of sand wasps, pp. 361-388, figs. 177-190 (sleeping burrows, nest, prey, egg, life 

 cycle, parasites ?). 



Morphology: Snodgrass, 1941. Smithsn. Inst., Misc. Collect. 99 (14): pi. 19, figs. H, Q, R, pi. 20, 

 figs. A, B (male genitalia). 

 nigrifrons (Provancher). U. S. and Mexico west of 100th meridian. Ecology: Nests in sand. 

 Parasite: Dasymutilla cassandra Mick., D. gloriosa (Sauss.); Pamopes f.fulvicornis 

 Cam. Prey: Many kinds of dead arthropods. 

 Bembex nigrifrons Provancher, 1888. Addit. Corr. Faune Ent. Canada Hym., p. 415. 6, 9. 

 Microbembex monodonta neomexicana Johnson and Rohwer, 1908. Ent. News 19: 375. 

 Microbembex monodonta deltaensis Johnson and Rohwer, 1908. Ent. News 19: 375. 6 . 



Biology: Bohart and MacSwain, 1940. Pan-Pacific Ent. 16: 92-93 (parasite; misdet. as aurata 

 Prkr.). -Alcock and Ryan, 1973. Pan-Pacific Ent. 49: 144-148, 1 fig. (prey, mating 

 behavior). —Alcock and Gamboa, 1975. Ariz. Acad. Sci., Jour. 10: 161-162 (nesting 

 behavior). 

 rufiventris Bohart. Calif. 



Microbembex nifiventris Bohart, 1970. Pan-Pacific Ent. 46: 204. 6,9. 



Genus STICTIA Illiger 



Monedida Latreille, 1802-1803. Hist. Nat. Crust. Ins., v. 3, p. 345. Preocc. 



Type-species: Vespa signata Linnaeus. Desig. by Latreille, 1810. 

 Stictia Illiger, 1807. In Rossi, Fauna Etrusca, Ed. 2, v. 2, p. 131. N. name for Monedula 

 Latreille. 



These wasps occur only in the New World where most species are restricted to the tropical 

 areas. They occasionally nest in large aggregations in sandy soil. The nest is unicellular. They 

 practice progressive provisioning and prefer horseflies (Tabanidae) as prey. The egg is placed in 

 the empty cell in Carolina (F.) and on the first fly brought into the cell in our other species. 



Carolina (Fabricius). N. J. and Pa. south to Fla., west to 111., Kans., and N. Mex. Ecology: 



Occasionally nests in very large aggregations in sand; the egg is placed in the empty 

 cell; as many as 63 prey may be supplied. Parasite: Senotainia trilineata 

 (Wulp), Miltogrammini spp.; Dohmiphora comuta (Big.). Prey: Psorophora ciliata (F.); 

 Chrysops dimmocki Hine, Chlorotabanus crepuscularis Beq., Hybomitra hinei wrighti 

 Whit., Tabanus abdominalis F., T. antericanus Forst., T. atratus F., T. a. var. 

 nantuckensis Hine, T. bishoppi Stone, T. cheliopterus Rond., T. coarctatus Stone, T. 

 endymion 0. S., T . fumipennis Wied., T. i. imitans Wlkr., T. lineola F., T. melanocerus 

 lacustris Stone, T. mularis Stone, T. nigripes Wied., T. nigrescens Beauv., T. petiolatus 

 Hine, T. sparus Whit., T. stygius Say, T. sulcifrons Macq., T. trijunctus Wlkr., T. vittiger 

 schwardti Phil., T. spp.; Odontomyia cincta Oliv.; Volucella mexicana Macq., V. nigra 

 Greene; Graphomya maculata Scop., Musca domestica L., Orthellia caesarion Meig., 

 Stomoxys calcitrans L.; Amobia erytlirura (Wulp), Sarcophaga bullata Prkr., S. 

 ochracea Aid., S. sarracenioides Aid., S. spp.; Calliphora vomitoria L., Cochliomyia 



